XPost: alt.global-warming   
      
   Dizzying pace of Biden's climate action sounds death knell for era of denialism   
   Oliver Milman, The Guardian via Carbon Brief   
   There continues to be a substantial volume of commentary and analysis   
   reacting to US president Joe Biden's sweeping new climate agenda. An   
   analytical feature in the Guardian notes how Biden is framing his   
   plans as a source of "job creation", continuing: "The Trump years may   
   well have been the death rattle of influential denialism. The American   
   public's concern over the climate crisis is at record levels, with   
   even a majority of Republican voters supporting govt   
   intervention in the wake of a year of unprecedented wildfires and   
   hurricanes that cost 100s of lives and tens of bns of   
   dollars. The question is now whether the US is able to change quickly   
   enough to avert further disaster, rather than if it will change at   
   all." An editorial in the Guardian says: "Delays and prevarications on   
   climate action thus far mean that change must now happen very   
   fast. The most useful move that Mr Biden could now make would be to   
   announce that April's talks will be the launch pad for a global green   
   recovery. This is no time to sit back. Instead, the world must press   
   on, and speed up." An editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle says   
   that "Biden's climate shift is a break and a test for [California   
   governor Gavin] Newsom", adding: "Newsom, and indeed the state,   
   country and world, are right to celebrate Washington's return to   
   reality after 4 years of relentless rollbacks of environmental   
   policies. But the Biden era also means the governor and other state   
   policymakers will be called on to explain what they're doing - and not   
   doing - to stem pollution beyond doing battle with Trump." The   
   Economist says that "problems abound" for Biden's agenda: "The Biden   
   administration believes it has to co-operate with China to make   
   sufficient progress on reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions, but   
   arguments over security, trade and human rights make that   
   difficult. COP26, the UN's climate summit scheduled for Nov in   
   Glasgow, will be a crucial test of the new president's skills. But he   
   seems committed to the task." BBC News`s Justin Rowlatt asks whether   
   Biden's climate agenda is the "beginning of the end for fossil fuels"   
   and speaks to John Kerry. Writing in Foreign Policy, Timothy Naftali -   
   a CNN presidential historian - and Christopher White - national   
   correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter - argue that, working   
   together, Biden and Pope Francis "could make a climate change   
   miracle". Washington Post columnist Henry Olsen says the Republicans   
   should now embrace an "operation warp speed" for climate change:   
   "Climate change is increasingly becoming an issue that the right   
   cannot ignore. While it remains low on the list of public policy   
   priorities, it is a relatively higher priority among younger and   
   female voters. Its importance is also likely to rise rather than fall   
   as the consequences of a changing climate mount. It's wiser, then, to   
   get ahead of the political curve than to constantly play catch-up with   
   Democratic politicians."   
   Meanwhile, an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald says the Joe   
   Biden's occupancy of the White House "change the balance in   
   Australia's climate wars". It adds: "Australia will have no-one to   
   hide behind if it argues against stronger action at [COP26]. Mr Biden   
   could also apply bilateral diplomatic pressure on prime minister Scott   
   Morrison over his failure to produce a serious emissions reduction   
   policy despite the Coalition's 7 years in power. It is not an   
   issue that will split the US alliance but it could lead to   
   uncomfortable moments." Adam Morton - Guardian Australia's environment   
   editor - says Biden's agenda "underscores the scale of the   
   international pressure the Morrison govt is likely to face this   
   year if it maintains its resistance to making the science-based   
   commitments expected under the 2015 climate pact".   
   Separately, the Financial Times has a "big read" on whether a "leaner"   
   US shale oil industry can "ever lure back investors". And the   
   Financial Times's "climate graphic of the week" shows how storms are   
   intensifying in the Atlantic basin.   
      
   --   
   Elon Musk Turns Tough Interviewer For Robinhood CEO, Demands Answers On   
   GameStop Events   
   Yahoo Finance, 01 Feb 2021 10:25Z   
   Robinhood Co-founder and CEO Vladimir Tenev made a surprise appearance on   
   Clubhouse early Mon with Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) counterpart Elon ...   
      
   Gottlieb says vaccination "should be a backstop" to protect against virus   
   variant   
   CBS News, 31 Jan 2021 16:44Z   
   Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA commissioner, says inoculations may stem   
   the spread of a new coronavirus variant in the coming months.   
      
   [The bad news keeps on commin!]   
   An electric race car has lapped Daytona for the first time   
   Ars Technica, 31 Jan 2021 16:42Z   
   The annual 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway in Florida got   
   underway on Sat afternoon. And this year's race has been a pretty good   
   one so ...   
      
   New COVID variants 'spreading as fast as planes can fly'   
   WLTX.com, 01 Feb 2021 03:27Z   
   While these new strains are not more deadly, doctors say they are more   
   contagious. Here's how we can prevent them from taking over.   
      
   Two mn Australians in lockdown after one coronavirus case found   
   Yahoo News, 01 Feb 2021 06:11Z   
   About 2 mn Australians begun their first full day of a strict   
   coronavirus lockdown on Mon following the discovery of one case in the   
   community in Perth, ...   
      
   Chilling trend: A longer, deadlier pandemic   
   ampAxios, 01 Feb 2021 11:14Z   
   Mutated versions of the coronavirus threaten to prolong the pandemic,   
   perhaps for years - killing more people and deepening the global economic   
   crisis in the ...   
      
   Qld super rubbish system sitting idle because noone can switch it on   
   ABC News, 1 Feb 2021   
   A Qld council has spend $21 mn to install a new hi-tech rubbish   
   collection system that sucks garbage through pipes at 70 mph, avoiding   
   the need for rubbish trucks. With the system completed it now sits   
   idle because noone is qualified to switch it on.  The S Korean   
   builders are stuck at home unable to get flights to Australia due to   
   the pandemic.  Reps for the Qld council say they understand a team   
   will be dispatched to do the final checkout and startup sometime in Feb.   
      
   Hotel guard who triggered WA lockdown has the mutant UK strain,   
   authorities confirm   
   ABC News, 01 Feb 2021 04:51Z   
   A hotel quarantine security guard whose movements are being tracked   
   after he contracted COVID-19 has the highly contagious UK variant of   
   the virus, authorities reveal.   
      
   Shipping container shortage puts the squeeze on Australian exporters amid   
   supply chain crunch   
   ABC Rural, 01 Feb 2021 05:49Z   
   Fresh food exporters are struggling to get their produce to market as a   
   shortage of food-grade shipping containers and lengthy delays at   
   international ports take a toll.   
      
   At least one house on fire as Perth Hills bushfire reaches emergency level   
   ABC News, 01 Feb 2021 05:49Z   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)